Ars is live at the unveiling of Amazon's new tablets and e-readers.

The Kindle has gone through a lot of changes. The body has gotten svelter, the keyboard has disappeared—what once was just an e-reader has moved into an area previously only occupied by Android-based tablets, and, of course, the iPad. The newer Amazon device, the Kindle Fire, got a color touchscreen, and was released just about a year ago. The company "sold out" of them last week.

Amazon will be holding a press conference on September 6, and as usual, the company has been keeping silent on details. Amazon hasn't said what it will announce in advance, but all signs seem to point to a new version of the Fire, which may keep that moniker, or may be called the Fire 2. The new tablet will likely come in either a 7-inch or 10-inch model (or possibly both), and it looks like it's set to compete with the Nexus 7 and the oft-rumored iPad mini.

Amazon has been struggling so far to break into the global tablet market, having sold just 4.2 percent globally, according to IHS iSuppli. Here at home, though, Amazon said as recently as last week that it has captured 22 percent of the American market with sales of the Fire. There will, of course, be extra pressure soon, given Apple's own special event later this month, with another coming in October.

So what exactly will this new Kindle look like? No one can be 100 percent sure—but we'll be on the scene bringing you up-to-the-second coverage of the announcements.

Cyrus Farivar
Cyrus is the Senior Business Editor at Ars Technica, and is also a radio producer and author. His latest book, Habeas Data, about the legal cases over the last 50 years that have had an outsized impact on surveillance and privacy law in America, is due out in May 2018 from Melville House. Emailcyrus.farivar@arstechnica.com//Twitter@cfarivar

What do people think the chances are of updated eink devices/what might they be?

Rumors say that it will be a white background e-ink display with backlight.

Any rumor of "e-ink" and "backlight" should be disregarded as nonsense. You cannot backlight paper; you can only front-light it. So either the rumor is obviously false, or the person repeating it doesn't know the difference and therefore is too stupid to be listened too.

Yea, it's not really a "backlight". B&N beat Amazon to the punch with this one, but it's a thin film over the top of the e-ink and is lit from the sides in such a way as to illuminate the e-ink surface but not shine into your eyes. I can't wait to try it. I'm hoping for a new Touch model with this. I do like my lighted case for the existing Touch, though. Always looking to slimline...

I think I'll upgrade if they're frontlighting. I've got an ad-supported Kindle right now (I was curious to see if they're intrusive, and yes, the ads very much do bother me) so I'm more than happy to make a change.

I hear Kobo is coming out with a front lit model as well... Might jump ship...

I think I'll upgrade if they're frontlighting. I've got an ad-supported Kindle right now (I was curious to see if they're intrusive, and yes, the ads very much do bother me) so I'm more than happy to make a change.

I hear Kobo is coming out with a front lit model as well... Might jump ship...

Such BS about the sales. I never trust a company that refuses to give actual numbers. Why should we believe them? How many people have ever actually seen a Fire tablet in other people's hands? I've never seen one. Yeah, I'm sure a few techies on sites like this have one. But most were bought as presents during the holidays, and put away after a couple of weeks, according to surveys, which only gave them a 41% approval rating by those who had them.

Whether I do or not, the facts speak for themselves. If someone wants to get the details, they will. But no one is that interested.

Actually I'm interested. I use a tablet for ebooks, but would get a lit e-ink.

Thrn again, I don't own an iphone or any Apple products. ;-)

That's not the point. I'll bet that you read a lot about Apple's new products even though you likely won't want to admit it. I know that you are trying to be clever with your post, but it really isn't all that clever.

Like it or not, there are far more people who care about what Apple is doing, even if they don't have Apple products than about what Amazon is doing. I'm interested in Amazon, because I had their stock for a while, and I buy a lot of stuff from them. But the average person doesn't care so much.

Let's face facts. With factories in China producing all these products, if there is enough interest, parts will slip out the doors, for a price.

That's not the point. I'll bet that you read a lot about Apple's new products even though you likely won't want to admit it. I know that you are trying to be clever with your post, but it really isn't all that clever.

Like it or not, there are far more people who care about what Apple is doing, even if they don't have Apple products than about what Amazon is doing. I'm interested in Amazon, because I had their stock for a while, and I buy a lot of stuff from them. But the average person doesn't care so much.

Let's face facts. With factories in China producing all these products, if there is enough interest, parts will slip out the doors, for a price.

Sorry, but Apple people are just a cult. Even your post comes off as cult-ish. The fact that you care so much for a corporation, (which isn't your friend, it's an entity that cares only about money) is rather sad. If you need real friends go make them. Maybe you and some other Apple wackjobs can stand in airports, that's been popular with other cults.

IMHO, the Fire did well in the US, but probably would have sold more if you could switch between the Kindle UI and standard Android. I know my impression of them has always been that the Fire is a "gimped" Android tablet, and who wants a gimped device? Maybe just make the Kindle UI a more fleshed-out version of the regular Android Kindle app? I think the Fire can be rooted and then modded with a different ROM, but a lot of Average Joes don't know how to do that, don't care to know how to do that, or they simply buy something else that already has what they want.

I have an iPad 2 and I'm not really looking for something different at the moment, but the gadget junkie in me does enjoy seeing what Amazon's been putting out in their Kindle line. BTW, since people here seem to care or need to be explicit on what devices we're all using, my iPad is the only idevice I own. I'm otherwise a PC/Android guy. Anyway, I'd love to see a color eInk device, but I doubt it's in the cards this time around. Beginning to wonder if we'll ever see it in a mainstream product before the "Next Big Thing" arrives. Built-in edge or front-lighting would be a requirement for me on any eInk device. It's a non-starter for me without it.

Hmm... The guys over at droid-life.com are speculating that we could see the rumored Amazon/Kindle phone announced. Just a weird thought here, but would a smartphone with an eInk display sell? The UI wouldn't look as nice, obviously, and it would impose some big limitations (outright incompatibility?) with a bunch of apps. But maybe the benefits in battery life and outdoor visibility in daylight might make up for it for a lot of people?

Like it or not, there are far more people who care about what Apple is doing,

Hey, I think that should read

'Like it or not, there are far more people who care about what Apple is suing.'

And yes in that way that the villain is often a more compelling/watchable character than the hero, Apple's grade a shenanigans are more watchable than watching Amazon come out with some pretty solid new services even if the Amazon's offerings contribute more to the march of human progress.

I am a reader and it's the content that I care about, not necessarily the device.

I have been a Kindle user on the computer, iPhone and iPad for years. I love the work that Amazon has done to put the reader first with the Kindle brand. Amazon has been making some fantastic advances in how I read books, my access to content, and the general convenience of carrying around these little devices instead of the thick, heavy, dead trees.

The E Ink display is the reader's display and the Content is King in the device market.

I will very likely purchase a new Kindle E Ink device today after the announcement.

What do people think the chances are of updated eink devices/what might they be?

Rumors say that it will be a white background e-ink display with backlight.

Any rumor of "e-ink" and "backlight" should be disregarded as nonsense. You cannot backlight paper; you can only front-light it. So either the rumor is obviously false, or the person repeating it doesn't know the difference and therefore is too stupid to be listened too.

??? I just held a piece of paper up to a lamp and it backlit beautifully. Whatever do you mean that one cannot backlight paper?

As for whether an e-ink screen can be backlit, I have no idea, since I have only a vague idea of how such things are constructed.

Hmm... The guys over at droid-life.com are speculating that we could see the rumored Amazon/Kindle phone announced. Just a weird thought here, but would a smartphone with an eInk display sell? The UI wouldn't look as nice, obviously, and it would impose some big limitations (outright incompatibility?) with a bunch of apps. But maybe the benefits in battery life and outdoor visibility in daylight might make up for it for a lot of people?

The biggest problem with current e-ink technology would be playback of video for me.

I am really interested in a new Kindle DX type device with e-ink (color e-ink would be great!) that is well suited for math, programming and science textbooks. My current Kindle is well suited for novel reading.

What do people think the chances are of updated eink devices/what might they be?

Rumors say that it will be a white background e-ink display with backlight.

Any rumor of "e-ink" and "backlight" should be disregarded as nonsense. You cannot backlight paper; you can only front-light it. So either the rumor is obviously false, or the person repeating it doesn't know the difference and therefore is too stupid to be listened too.

??? I just held a piece of paper up to a lamp and it backlit beautifully. Whatever do you mean that one cannot backlight paper?

As for whether an e-ink screen can be backlit, I have no idea, since I have only a vague idea of how such things are constructed.

I think he means that you do not read paper by shining a light from the back of the paper. E-ink is supposed to have the natural feel of reading paper where light is shining from the front and reflected back into the eyes -- supposedly it is less straining on the eyes.

How many people have ever actually seen a Fire tablet in other people's hands? I've never seen one. Yeah, I'm sure a few techies on sites like this have one. But most were bought as presents during the holidays, and put away after a couple of weeks, according to surveys, which only gave them a 41% approval rating by those who had them.

Not from what I see. I take the subway in NYC twice a day, and always see multiple Fires. On my trips upstate on Amtrak, I always wander around the train, looking at people's laptops ... which are now giving way to tablets. Last trip (Monday), I counted 24 iPads, 9 Nooks, 12 Kindles, 11 Fires, and dozens others (wasn't sure of the exact look of the Nexus 7 or Galaxy Tabs). Those numbers were from ONE walkthrough.

edit - just read the rest of your posts. Whoops. I see where you're coming from.

Give me a new e-ink kindle with built in light and most importantly - dedicated page turn buttons that you can press from the front! Hate the current Kindle basic turn buttons when compared to the Kindle Keyboard type - I find them so much more annoying to use. (I also would be a huge fan of a Kindle touch with dedicated turn buttons in addition to swipe-to-turn. More than once when my hands have gotten a bit greasy I wouldn't have wanted to touch the screen with my fingers- but with a dedicated button can use a clean side of hand or even wrist etc.)

....what once was just an e-reader has moved into an area previously only occupied by Android-based tablets, and, of course, the iPad.

Kindle Fire = Android-based tablet

Excited to see what they have up their sleeves, bought my wife a refurb Fire last year, great device for her. Only real complaint is that I have to convert videos due to limited format compatibility. Debating between Nexus 7 and new Fire, sounds like I'll know after today!

tying gadgets and service together is not what _I_ want. I want a gadget I can use regardless of service, and the ability to very very occasionally tap into a service. Tying them together simple looks like a way to put a permanent feed in my wallet.

It would be nice if these liveblogs could be reversed after they close. Maybe newest-at-top makes sense while the event is going on, but if you come in later, it would be easier to read from the top down.

I can fix with a bookmarklet, but it would be preferable to have the option within the page.

That's not the point. I'll bet that you read a lot about Apple's new products even though you likely won't want to admit it. I know that you are trying to be clever with your post, but it really isn't all that clever.

Like it or not, there are far more people who care about what Apple is doing, even if they don't have Apple products than about what Amazon is doing. I'm interested in Amazon, because I had their stock for a while, and I buy a lot of stuff from them. But the average person doesn't care so much.

Let's face facts. With factories in China producing all these products, if there is enough interest, parts will slip out the doors, for a price.

Sorry, but Apple people are just a cult. Even your post comes off as cult-ish. The fact that you care so much for a corporation, (which isn't your friend, it's an entity that cares only about money) is rather sad. If you need real friends go make them. Maybe you and some other Apple wackjobs can stand in airports, that's been popular with other cults.

Yeah. The hundreds of millions every year that buy Apple's products are a cult. If that's true, then you'd better hide.

I hate to say it, but your post is as cultish as any other. You just don't want to know the facts, as your mind is closed to them.